Morgane Devaux
Morgane Devaux is a Shal'dorei Arcanist to the Court of Suramar, and Matriarch of House Devaux. Morgane was forced to flee Suramar due to persecution over refusing fel infusions, an escape facilitated by her now ally and soon to be husband, the Sin'dorei Lord Entilzha Firesong. Entilzha and Morgane raised the Thera-dora, a company sized militia built from refugees and exiles, extensively trained and tested in the prewar police state environment and the invasion of Suramar and siege of the Nightspire. Morgane returned to her role as an arcanist to the Court of Suramar following the end of Legion rule, though left Suramar of her own accord prior to any public mention of her upcoming marriage. Morgane lived in Zin-Azshari and Eldre'Thalas before Suramar and is deeply committed to her future beside Entilzha in Ashal'Thalas and the family both desire. Early Life Morgane Devaux was born to a well-respected Highborne family living in the south of Zin-Azshari. So close to the Well of Eternity, where much of Kaldorei civilization was then concentrated, her arcane talent manifested at a young age on the well's shores, to the delight of Morgane's parents. Seeking to curry favor with Queen Azshara, Morgane was enrolled in an intensive course of study lasting several hundred years. Her command of the Well and weaves of space and time beyond that of many, Morgane's first assignment was among the Shen'dralar of Eldre'Thalas, tasked with keeping guard over the Queen's most powerful arcane secrets, and establishing a strong presence from which to push the Empire to the Western Shores of Ancient Kalimdor. Morgane spent several decades in Eldre'Thalas, and learned much from the ancient relics and texts there, some perhaps remaining, of the earliest days of the Kaldorei, coming into scrolls with imagery depicting Elune as a Loa, studying in the city's vast archives to understand the powerful transformation the Well and Elune; Morgane in those days as with nearly all deeply revered the Moon Goddess. While she learned much from the archives of Eldre'Thalas, she found too often the Shen'dralar to be paranoid and distasteful, especially their leader Prince Tortheldrin, whom she especially disliked. Morgane requested a transfer to the eastern city of Suramar, quite far from Eldre'Thalas and emerging as a center of arcane learning unlike any in the Empire with the creation of the city's "Arcway". Morgane studied briefly at Sashj'tar quickly picking up and expanding upon the latest developments made by the Arcanists of the Court of Suramar. Morgane found a freedom to pursue the arcane as she chose in Suramar and its powerful, levelheaded ruler Grand Magistrix Elisande, than in her native Zin-Azshari or Eldre'Thalas, where arcanists were commonly tasked by the Queen. Azshara expected only results of Suramar, and that it always produced, and the most skilled and truly knowledgeable arcanists in the Empire, if their numbers were fewer than the academies of the sprawling capital she had once called home, and still held a lingering attachment to the southern Highborne districts and her childhood days beside the Well. Morgane had since youth deeply revered Queen Azshara, and would fight often for her when called to push back the trolls and continue the expansion of Her Grace's domain, Suramar ever faithful in meeting or exceeding the Light of Lights' military wishes, pushing the eastern frontier of the empire as distant from Suramar as modern Duskwood. Arcanist Devaux used the battles against the trolls and northern campaign against Aqir to test powerful new spells, capable with the energy available in those days and conduits to the Well of Eternity of destroying a fortified troll position in a single strike. Morgane was formally recognized as an Arcanist of Suramar several hundred years before the War of the Ancients began, and was likely involved with the creation and early study of the Nightwell. Her experiments with Time Magic increased as the Eye of Aman'thul made the Nightwell a potent source of such energies, but Morgane would not truly delve such mysteries until the long time without the sky. When the war came, there was never any doubt her loyalty was to the city, holding off demonic advances, and among those whom joined to form the mighty shield which settled over the city. Cut off from the sky and even the simple woods beyond the city, Sashj'tar and the Temple of Elune seemingly not having made it, Morgane mourned the lost with the others, especially difficult without the Temple, the burial grounds of Tel'anor, or even Elune's presence in the sky overhead. Food soon grew scarce, elves relying on wine infused from the Nightwell for basic nourishment. Morgane saw this as worrisome, and advocated for the cultivation of fruit-bearing trees wherever possible, many of the decorative trees in the city with time selectively bred to product ripe arcpears and other fruits. It still wasn't enough, and the Nightwell was the only other option, Morgane resigned to sip her arcwine as their skin slowly darkened. Morgane's family had moved from Zin-Azshari to Suramar prior to the War of the Ancients, with her mother, then bearer of the Amulet of Ky'lintha and two brothers in the city. Savvy politically and now with all the time in the world to delve arcane mysteries, House of Devaux in time came to be well respected, residing in the exclusive Court of Stars. Morgane filled much of her endless time delving the mysteries of the Nightwell, her astromancy guided by Star Auger Etreaus for a time, delving the mysteries of other worlds, and scrying Azeroth beyond the dome, a means of coping with her isolation. Morgane's command over Time Magic grew greatly; with the power of the Nightwell so tied to that of time, nearly ever Shal'dorei, as they now called themselves, could cast a basic Time Stop spell, and Morgane pondered often setting caution aside, venturing into the distant past or future, another world or timeway, a place she might see the stars. Isolated, the cutthroat nature of Suramar politics however grew increasingly so, Morgane's fiance Clément killed with poison prior to her marriage. Morgane's eyes and ears implicated Ruben Stelleris, though able to prove nothing, and from a family more powerful than her own, Morgane resolved to remain in the city and see her mother and the invaluable Amulet, her family's treasure and regalia, well protected. Morgane would look at the Amulet of Ky'lintha often, sometimes wearing it. The Aqueous Eternite Core, concentrated arcane from deep in the Well of Eternity shone as bright as ever, but the purple Moonstone slowly lost its glow, shielded from Elune's light, and while with a fragment of the Well of Eternity, House Devaux's Regalia remained very powerful, its restorative powers were cut off. While Crescent moons remained throughout Suramar, no new Temple war built, and with no Sisterhood of Elune, whom had opposed the decision to defend Suramar and joined the wider Kaldorei Resistance, the active worship of Elune faded, Morgane was able to conceal any noticeable changes to the amulet with cosmetic magics, a strength of hers, though it would not regain its lunar charge while the shield stood. Morgane's study of the Time Magics increased notably in the few thousand years before the dome was lifted, growing leery of Etreaus and seeking both a new arcane mystery, and the favor of the Grand Magistrix, whom with the Nightwell's aid had grown stronger with temporal magic than Morgane thought possible. Encouraged by Elisande's example, Morgane grew capable, with the Nightwell, of opening portals through time, though she was exceedingly cautious and only conducted a few experiments of this nature. She did however take several secret trips beyond the dome, using her combined knowledge of Time Magic, Astromancy and Ley Lines, she opened a portal to the Ashenvale Forest after several thousand years of isolation, feeling a touch of Elune's grace if she dared not be long gone. ]] Morgane at that time had the most to fear of noble enemies of House Devaux and/or herself, and like most of any important in Suramar, she took quite seriously that someone was going to attack her, and began using Time Magics in an increasingly tactical fashion, speeding time for herself while slowing it for an enemy, temporal stasis bubbles and moving a few seconds ahead of backward in time to confuse an enemy. The assassination attempts against her family quelled with several would-be assassins caught in Time Bubbles, and Morgane had been considering the prospect of marrying again when the Third Legion War would begin, though having now known and dealt with virtually every possible suitor in Suramar, felt no emotional connection, and was leery of such with the prior loss of her fiance. Confident her own life would continue for some time with the Nightwell and her command of Time Magic, Morgane resolved to be patient; the right marriage alliance could have elevated her into consideration for an Adviser position, and while Morgane's magical strength seemed to please the Magistrix, no such marriage opportunity arose, at least not one Morgane deemed suitable, while the city remained shielded. End of Serenity Morgane despised and hated the Burning Legion. They took her father, sister, and dearest friend among countless other elven lives in the War of the Ancients. Dismayed at how quickly life in Suramar had changed from serene with the occasional backstab, to the worst nightmare the tall arcanist could imagine, and this one would rage for months, with tendrils perhaps as long. She was shellshocked, nauseated by the presence of demons in her city and children withering and dying for no reason but to spread fear and enforce control, Morgane, not knowing initially what to do, outwardly continued to project utter and complete loyalty to the Grand Magistrix, while despair ate at her inside, such betrayal from the one whom had seen them through so much. Rumors came of a failed attempt to stop the lowering...it would have been nice to see the sky again, if not ruined by the endless bats, the felfire and desecrated Temple of Elune. Elune though...Morgane had once been religious, but the moon right meant little as demons paraded, increasingly alongside sycophant elves, in the streets of her beloved city. Morgane begans keeping a list of elves and houses involved with the practice of Fel Infusion, eventually speaking of her disgust over much wine to her long time friend Thorel, whom also projected loyalty, but few were sure of anyone in those days. Thorel, a lesser arcanist from the middle tier, held ties to the growing resistance in the south of the city, and spoke of the value Morgane could provide, residing in the Court of Stars. She could arrogantly pick up and walk away with a few bottles of arcwine that could be used to fend off the withering of dozens of elves. The Duskwatch hid nothing in the Court; her information proved invaluable in tipping the South against raids. Morgane agreed and was a vital asset to the Resistance in the north, and well connected with notable figures, and continued to project utmost loyalty to Elisande, but her loyalty came under into question by some for refusing to undergo fel infusions, with much of her family and their political allies eagerly volunteering. Called fickle or scared at best, a traitor at worst, she initially considered taking the infusions so that none dare challenge her loyalty, thinking of access to privileged information and contacts along with a greater sense of freedom to go about her business seeking to undermine Elisande. Morgane however decided against this course, both on account of advice by her resistance allies and more personally, her brother, with whom she'd always been close but since his infusions the elf she knew is all but dead, with what he's become a monstrosity filled with rage, hatred and a seemingly unquenchable thirst for power. Morgane was not confident she could remain herself given what she's seen fel do to others and stated publicly that she had long served the Magistrix as an astromancer, and continuing to do so was her proper place. Most were accepting as many other loyalist spellcasters made similar decisions not to infuse, but her tact refusal was not taken well by many of those closest to her and more worrisome still, her family's allies, some of which had wholly given themselves to the felborne and actively take part in the the abduction of citizens including children, though she's unaware of the nature of the Soul Engine and that most if not all are taken there to be used as fuel. Morgane has has survived a number of assassination attempts, including an incident in which a felborne conspirator triggered a ward in her sleeping quarters, with Morgane just managing a Time Stop spell when the blade was only inches from her neck, with its vile fel energy dripping onto her sheets. Morgane is exceedingly careful about her movements, and with her magical skills, has proven a difficult target. Lacking success in slaying her, Morgane's foes instead turned to her mother, stealing the Amulet of Ky'lintha, an ornate and powerful necklace dating to Queen Azshara's era and having long stood as the regalia of her family's ancient and proud heritage. Morgane recognized the theft as an attempt to lure her from the city - her being a scryer is no secret and it didn't take much assumption to figure she'd be highly familiar with the amulet; it proved easy, too easy, for her spells to place it somewhere in Azsuna, or at least what she believed to be Azsuna, though a more precise location has proven a challenge given the distance and possibly shielding around the stolen Amulet - all in a typical situation perfectly sound reasons to investigate closer to or within Azsuna, likely just what her foes seek. Infused with the essence of the Well of Eternity and wielded by her grandmother, an Elune Priestess during the War of the Ancients, serves as the formal emblem and regalia of her household and a visible sign of both their magical strength and proud lineage. With all sentiment aside, she largely fears what horrid uses the felborne and Legion could find for an arcane object of such strength, blood that, if spilled, Morgane will view as on her hands for allowing it to fall into the hands of such evil. Having not left Suramar City in millennia, Morgane was confident the Amulet is being used to draw her out, and very much doubts her searching for it would end well. With Morgane away from sight and the relative safety of her wards and those she trusts, she expects the felborne to fall on her in ambush as rabid dogs, away from eyes and free to use overwhelming force and ruthless brutality. Additionally, efforts to organize a force and the time spent away would surely draw attention, and Morgane along with her mother have thus far kept the theft a secret. Morgane has secured everything else of magical and/or hereditary value her mother holds, if they all pale in comparison to the Amulet, but with her mother like Morgane not publicly acknowledging the theft and seeming to carry on as usual, Morgane worried greatly for the safety of her mother, whom is no spellcaster and as a scribe and harpist, cannot defend herself in any meaningful way. Her mother's guard was been increased slightly, a standard practice these days, and with the aid of the southern-based resistance movement taking shape Resistance in choosing them, she has survived so far, though Morgane is deeply unsettled and must find a way to eliminate whomever is responsible for for the trouble and regain the amulet. What Friends Are For Morgane was trusting of few; maintaining channels to the major branches of the resistance but is around few she can confide in, one such elf being her childhood friend and fellow arcanist Thorel Mathieu. Both disliked the arrival of the demons but kept quiet, and both are paying for it; Thorel's father, Fourth Telemancer Kadremis Mathieu, was exiled following the coup, and Morgane's life and legacy hang each day in the balance. Chatting, seemingly laughing and being merry over a glass of arcwine, Morgane shared her dilemma with Thorel, whom agreed leaving the city was likely to end in death, though worried deeply for his friend, and perhaps then some, not to mention the destructive capability of the Amulet of Ky'lintha. Thorel was not facing such pressure to undergo fel infusion, but with his father named a traitor and exiled, retains favor on account of his talent with time magics, and must be exceedingly careful, especially with his resistance ties. Living in the middle districts, Thorel could do little practically to help, though when he was contacted by his exiled father Kadremis and eventually able to briefly speak through arcane communion as they had since long ago in happier times and a simpler world. Thorel was deeply relieved Kadremis was managing, and saw an opportunity to take meaningful action when learning of his son's Thalassian allies, outsiders though seemingly of Highborne bloodlines as themselves, among many odd outsiders spreading across the Isles since the floating city, Dalaran, appeared in the skies. From the brief arcane communication and subsequent messages delivered by proxy, Thorel learned that these Sin'dorei, apparently a branch of Highborne-descended elves, seemed to possess both military strength, and according to his father, skilled arcanists, not a label Kadremis would easily assign to any, let alone an outlander. Thorel doubted a favorable Thalassian response, though apparently Kadremis' Sin'dorei associate Entilzha Firesong was keen to make inroads with Nightborne opposed to the Legion alliance, and surprisingly took up the task of both retrieving the Amulet and identifying/eliminating as much of the threat to Morgane as was possible. Morgane and Thorel were both surprised by the terms in which Kadremis, whom as a spellweaver Morgane respects highly if telemancy is of no particular interest to her, spoke of an outsider's magical talent, though if of the pure blood of talented Highborne lines that seemed to have survived away from Suramar, how exactly raised a whole series of questions, but the magical prowess seemed a bit less absurd. Even if their spellwork was up to par, there was no way to know the true aims of these "Sin'dorei", a name suggesting a troubled history, elves whom may well seek the powers of the Amulet for themselves. Kadremis though spoke of owing them his life, and of their desire to show the people of Suramar their kin had not abandoned them, speaking of turning their combined might against the Legion as they had once before. Idealist, but welcome, and as difficult as it was to admit, Morgane knew such allies to be needed not only in this matter, but if there was to be any hope of stopping Elisande. Morgane and Thorel agreed to provide Lord Firesong what information they had, and vowed to uphold their end of the bargain if the Amulet is in fact returned and using their combined extensive resistance contacts to aid the Sin'dorei with navigating Suramar's deadly political waters, discussing suitable contacts and ways they might aid, but first needing to assure their trustworthiness and capacity, also intending to, if possible, personally meet with them both to retrieve the amulet and get a sense of them. The Sin'dorei could and increasingly did move about freely as Shal'dorei tied to the palace cannot, and any seeking to ambush her would likely think nothing of them, if described differences in appearance are to be believed. These elven cousins can move operate militarily and magically outside of Suramar, and deep down Morgane came to see the immediate and possibly broader necessity of it, placing her trust in Kadremis' judgment and developing a spell to give to the Quel'dorei, some of whom could apparently read Shal'dorei runes. Operation: Amulet Kadremis was provided a divination spell written by Morgane based on her affinity to the Amulet of Ky'lintha, a slightly more detailed variant of the spell that had initially placed the artifact somewhere in somewhere in Azsuna. Morgane had woven every impression and interaction she could recall well enough to include into the spell, and the divination came across as a deeply personal spell as Entilzha Firesong reviewed it. The spell felt like more than a divination, with echoes of Morgane's regret and the beginnings of despair interwoven with magical details of the Amulet and how it reacted in the presence of certain forces. Having once been wielded by an Elune priestess, the spell detailed specifics of its interaction with lunar magics, which would be needed to confirm the authenticity of the Amulet when found. He immediately began translating and refining the spell from Shal'elah, his concealed arcane workshop and residence in Azsuna, where Kadremis also took refuge, passing a few allies involved with the operation a simplified version of the spell focused on its arcane aura's interactions with ley energy, the unique measure by which it could be identified from some distance, at least if the amulet was half as strong as the Shal'dorei had claimed. Locating the signal in a fel-infested cavern along the eastern coast, a Thalassian strike team used a diversion to get the felborne to lower the ward and storming the position. Powerful arcane wards prevented much of the initial felfire, though the shield was cut through, and a fierce battle commenced. Five cages containing Shal'dorei civilians sat throughout the cave, and as the fight turned against the felborne, one of the last remaining attempted to slay and absorb the soul of a captive before being cut down. The civilians freed, believed to have been en route to the Faronaar Soul Engine, included future Ranger-Captain Calindra Lemoine and would go on to form the Thera-dora. The Amulet was not however present in the cavern, though correspondence from a "Magistrix Bertrand" was uncovered, and suggested the nearby ruins of the Temple of a Thousand Lights. Dressing their wounds and moving to the position, the elves found the wicked Shal'dorei attempting to use the souls of the tormented Elune priestesses present to re-empower Elunic properties the amulet once held. This proved ineffective, though Bertrand would seriously wound two before the amulet was severed from her neck, at which point she used a brief time stop spell and escaped. Contact News of the Amulet's recovery was delivered to an anxious Morgane through Thorel, and a meeting was arranged the following day, with Morgane leaving Suramar in secret via a telemancy pad linked to the Shal'elah network. Morgane remembers the moment she first saw Entilzha as she took form in Azsuna. She wasn't able to discern a rank from his odd reddish robes, though the confidence and poise with which he directed the other short, Thalassian elves spoke volumes, and his arcane was powerful but subtle, with a mystery to it of one quite learned, with mysteries which intrigued her. Looking back, Entilzha and Morgane speak of the day as the start of their union, Entilzha considered her strikingly beautiful the moment he saw her, speaking not of such of course though, but formally greeting her in her native Suramar elvish tongue, having dispelled an arcane translation spell to speak directly. Their initial meeting was cordial, with Morgane grateful of the amulet's return, though at that time Morgane felt strongly that her place was in Suramar and resisted attempts by Thorel, and Firesong not to return and risk losing her life and the loyalists regaining the amulet. The discussion, held at a remote location in Azsuna where a temporary telemancy pad was set up, was interrupted be a felborne attack, led by Harbin, a former suitor Morgane had dismissed and now to her dismay among the strongest, and most favored among the hideous felborne. The fight was fierce, with Morgane and Thorel fighting alongside Entilzha and his team to keep them at bay. As tides began to turn in favor of the of the Felborne, Arcanist Devaux was able to use a brief time stop spell to enable them to put distance between themselves and the Felborne. Entilzha then signaled Fourth Telemancer Kadremis promptly to overload and destroy the temporary pad to prevent Shal'elah's discovery, and hopefully with enough force to have slain slay Harbin and his felborne henchmen, though their fate remains unverified. After the fight, and learning of ample arcwine stores, Morgane agreed to remain at Shal'elah, though adamant about continuing her work, largely via Thorel and resistance-affiliated servants. Thera-dora Command Morgane found Shal'elah's residential quarter, furnished in a similar style as a home in Suramar City, suitable, and worked diligently with Kadremis to establish contact with her allies, while her death was reported in Suramar. The civilians freed in the initial raid were also present at Shal'elah, and of the five only one had military experience, and that in the War of the Ancients. All however were horrified at how close their souls had come to becoming fuel for the Legion's machinery, a fact that enraged Morgane when she learned of it, and were willing and physically capable of being trained to fight. Without particular magical talent, though all Shal'dorei could use a number of spells, their training was to be as scouts, outrunners, and foragers, with Morgane assigned command of the growing Thera-dora. She proved to be big on order, formality, and tidy uniforms, and though often stressed by their lack of experience, overall the Thera-dora showed promise, Morgane testing them for various skillsets, finding training offered by Thalassian Farstriders and Spellbows and that of Spellswords of Spellfences of any tradition the most suitable, as to elves with some natural talent, they could be instilled in a few months. Calindra Lemoine showed particular strength for nature magic, and fighting with a bow, setting out on her course to ultimately become Ranger-Captain of the Thera-dora. Operations in Azsuna, and tactical actions inside Suramar city further hardened the Thera-dora before the invasion began, one Morgane and Entilzha bolster all of their available forces with, launching the invasion among diverse elven allies. The Broken Siege Arcanist Devaux commanded the Thera-dora during the liberation of Suramar, and subsequent siege of the Nighthold. The Thera-dora possessed more training than most of the Shal'dorei contingent of the Unified Elven Army, having been trained extensively by Thalassian forces and later, Duskwatch defectors at the concealed Shal'elah. Calindra alone drew much attention to the Thera-dora, for a Nightborne woman known previously as a civilian of humble birth, striking down demons with blazing arrows launched from a Thalassian spellbow, but Morgane's sense of discipline and coordination was passed along to the Thera-dora she'd spent months training alongside Sin'dorei ally Entilzha Firesong, a number of Sin'dorei rangers and Sunreaver associates of Lord Firesong, and more recently, flipped Duskwatch under Captain Adrienne. Calindra, Ky'lintha and the top Thera-dora commanders were both the most diligent and skilled in theeir discipline, packing training that often takes years into an intense number of months, training heavily in the ley ruins and Felblaze Ingress, as the Thera-dora came to agreement to take over anti-Legion efforts in Azsuna after the primary force was defeated and the striders moving on. The demons remaining were however quite formidable, and the ley ruins presented a complex set of new challenges, some from which new recruits were gained. Arcwine and Backstabbing Morgane immediately put Shal'elah in contact with elements of the resistance in Suramar City, working to guide the actions of Entilzha Firesong in smuggling wine throughout the city and to Shal'elah, Shal'aran, and beyond. Morgane urged action against Ruben Stelleris whom had engineered a plague to slay the rebels with void-tainted arcwine alongside the Dreadlord Varenastus. Morgane spoke with contempt of House Stelleris, and Ruben in particular, with Entilzha leading the team that would penetrate the Court of Stars in a Daring effort from the docks, bringing an end to Stelleris, whom was heavily guarded though himself deep in a fel ritual, having lost contact with his slain Dreadlord ally. Lady Devaux further guided Entilzha in establishing the first of a number of new supply routes, with her ally, Fourth Telemancer Kadremis, providing Telemancy beacons to move the wine directly from the vineyards to Shal'aran, from where it was then moved back into the city as needed. This solidified the supply of arcwine at Shal'elah and Shal'aran, and gained Morgane, whom had been known as a staunch loyalist, credibility among the rebels at Shal'aran, if she herself remained focused on training Thera-dora units at Shal'elah, where she and Entilzha were preparing the outcast or refugee militia for combat. Tactical Action As the first Thera-dora units became active, the crackdown in south Suramar was doing much to demoralize the resistance elsewhere. Morgane's network of contacts made her aware of a Duskwatch team holed up in a building in the Evermoon Commons with a number of civilians, refusing orders to deliver them to the soul forges as was now being openly done. Morgane assigned Calindra Lemoine to lead the Thera-dora on the rooftop, whom provided crucial distracting fire and aid bringing down the infernal which would ultimately be summoned. Entilzha led the ground assault and with the Thera-dora drawing off targets, reached the warded gate, if Captain Adrienne was initially weary to lower the ward, she did, and together with the Thalassian ground team, Thera-dora, and soldiers from inside, were able to destroy the massive infernal summoned, its core destroyed by one of Calindra's arcane arrows. Adrienne and her team proved invaluable to the growth of the Thera-dora, as there was no shortage of refugees especially after the crackdown, but elves to train them were in short supply. Adrienne's team would prove invaluable to the Thera-dora in raising them to fully company strength (125-200 soldiers), when the invasion of her home city began. Invasion The Thera-dora, having been intensely trained for several months, hardened in Azsuna and on covert operations, far outperformed most of the Shal'dorei rebels, acting mostly as Rangers or Spellfences, with some heavy armored units, training that was possible to condense into an intense few months for one with some natural skill. Joined by Thalassian forces, Morgane and Entilzha broke off to the south from the primary advance towards the Twilight Vineyards, fighting along narrow passes the Sin'dorei and Loyalists had both previously trapped, causing casualties moving through the narrow, rocky passages. The advance north paused, not seeking to trigger further traps and lose more men. Three Thera-dora infantry died when stunned and gunned down by a construct's arcane cannon, the first Thera-dora deaths and something that weighed heavily on Morgane, having never held military command. Sin'dorei engineers were able to convert the systems of the Shal'dorei robotic sentries to accept their commands. Robots in the Vines Initially, the constructs were allowed to continue their programmed routes, providing Fourth Telemancer Kadremis, whom was instrumental in the takeover, using the telemancy pads to access the internal systems of the constructs. As their design became better understood, additional constructs came under Thera-dora control, augmented with subtle spells so as to pass inspections. A select number from the group were given reinforced plating before the planned action, refitted plating from the more durable Chronarch Defenders in Astravaar Harbor. The constructs patrolling the outer ring were directed inward during a shift change, detonating their arcane cores into the guards, whom took no action against the sentries, whom followed standard routes and rapidly moved to detonate their cores at the same time. A building was destroyed to allow a Sin'dorei Ballistae to be brought into range, and at the direction of Morgane, Entilzha, and increasingly Calindra, Thera-dora archers struck down Duskwatch reinforcements from the trees of the Twilight Vineyards. Morgane would order retreat on two occasions, one due to mass portal reinforcements, another due to a flanking attack from the Crimson Thicket. Morgane had her most trusted Thera-dora sappers move with telemancy beacons to the location of arcwine caches, teleporting vast stores of wine from the city, if much was later to be directed back in, Morgane assured the stocks at Shal'elah remained strong, increasingly diverting arcwine to the Shal'dorei settlement Belore'aran in Ashal'Thalas. House Devaux and House Firesong are believed to mutually hold considerable stores of arcwine, and the Thera-dora next swept, with much lighter resistance, through north of the city, liberating the upper ring to the Lunastre Estate, and the grounds that would become the Firesong Suramar Consulate, a gardened manor formerly belonging to minor loyalist House Derimond . The Thera-dora fortified the manor and grounds, a number of them rejoining the main advance pushing towards the Nighthold. Timestuck Calindra Morgane and Entilzha were at the command post at the far side of the Nighthold approach when Elisande's time stop was launched, and were not themselves trapped, though a number of Thera-dora were. Calindra was able to be freed as a portion of her spellbow Aman'talah extended beyond the spell, and Morgane together with Entilzha were able to use the bowtip as a chronomantic focus, nearly overloading Leystation Anasterian from which the vast energies needed for even a brief interruption were drawn. Calindra and a few others were freed, and many other Thera-dora were not at the gate, but fighting among largely successful efforts to reclaim districts from Elisande's collapsing regime. The Nightwell Conduit Calindra and her unit, the 1st Shal'elah, spent a few days recovering at Belore'aran, then returned to the fight, selected as part of an elite infiltration team assigned to enter the breach in the Nightflow conduit several days before the breach, remaining unseen surrounded by enemies, causing confusion and weakening enemy numbers, finally striking out in a distracting fashion as the main strike team entered. The effort was a success, Calindra promoted to Ranger-Captain, and with the defeat of the Chronomatic Anomaly, the rest of the Thera-dora were freed, and joined operations inside the citadel many never thought they'd enter. on a telemancy pad overlooking Suramar during the liberation campaign]] Regime Change The Thera-dora came to guard vital supply routes outside the Nightspire as events inside came to a climax, and upon the defeat of Gul'dan, Morgane swore loyalty to Thalyssra and returned to her position as an Arcanist of Suramar. With many of the top arcane minds dead and the talents of Arcanist Devaux both as a spellcaster and commander gaining recognition, the ever-shrewd arcanist sees opportunities as the dust settles to rise in a number of ways, as an Arcanist first and foremost, commander of the Thera-dora, whom are being converted to defend Suramar with the shield down. Morgane permitted mild celebrations outside the Nighthold, though the Thera-dora continue to guard entrances and push against lingering pockets of resistance, a role transitioned largely to Morgane's Ranger-Captain Calindra Lemoine. Return to the Nighthold Morgane returned proudly to the corridors of the Nighthold, if the Thera-dora continued to act against pockets of Felborne outside for a time after the Nightspire was secured, and Morgane has returned with confidence, retaking her position as an arcanist of the Court of Suramar. At their first meeting all were concerned about the looming, desecrated Temple of Elune and the threat generally still posed by the Legion. Morgane spoke of the need for outer defenses, and her proposal to convert the Thera-dora into a Ranger unit ledy by Calindra, whom with the Spellbow Aman'talah had gained a measure of recognition during the siege, and funds were allocated to bolster the recruitment and training of the Thera-dora as a Ranger force to defend Suramar City and surrounding reasons the Shal'dorei are eager to move back into. Morgane and Entilzha also worked to begin production of Leywine at the jointly acquired Bergerac Vineyards in the Highlands of Azsuna. While the Nightwell fades and the fruit of the Arcan'dor removes the need for arcane wine, its drinking is a central part of Suramar culture, and Houses Devaux and Firesong seek to continue the city's rich winemaking tradition with lines developed for Thalassian and Shal'dorei markets. With Morgane's improved status and that of what remained House Devaux strong under the new government, several veteran vinters have become Devaux retainers, and the first batches of Devaux-Firesong leywine are intended to be ready for the 37 K.C. Tournament of Ages, though test bottles, largely created to test the leywalker Entilzha's infusion process, show strong progress in terms of arcane potency, if the newly signed vinters are very much needed to create the sophisticated blends demanded in Suramar, and likely to sell well elsewhere, notably Quel'Thalas, where a number of pre-orders have already been placed. Valenwood Incident Entilzha had been seeking to deepen ties with the province of Valenwood to the North, increasing trade relations, and offering the neighboring enclave, a short boat ride to the north, with House of Firesong beneficial loan and grain purchase terms to stabilize an economic crisis in Valenwood. As with most Sin'dorei, Valenwood contributed to Lady Ladrin's element of the unified elven army liberating Suramar, and were assigned a mission deep within felborne held territory, after the Nighthold had changed and the Felborne increasingly desperate, much of the city safe but the horrors deep where the Felborne held out. As operations led to Felsoul Hold, for no reason but a warning from a dying contact NOT to venture there, reservations held by Morgane and Entilzha grew, culminating in a room with a number of Sha'dorei whom had been infused with fel, including children and a pleading woman. The Valenwood Military had shown itself to be lacking in discipline, full of barbarism and those whom look the other way in the face of the eating and stomping of some of the children by a death knight, an act prompting Morgane to open a portal to a Shal'dorei camp outside Suramar where arcanists worked diligently on healing elves corrupted by fel, and should they prove hostile and beyond hope, a clean end to their suffering. Entilzha, Morgane, and a few other elves stood blocking the portal, and many of the civilian women and children did make it to safety. These events would lead to a suspension of military cooperation between House Firesong and Valenwood and a militarization of northern Ashal'Thalas. The children whom survived in the portal include two year old Mathis Devaux, whom Morgane adopted after spending several days at the camp working to keep the child alive, helping him fight the fel corruption. Morgane had seen greater evil from her own people and knew to be wary of Sin'dorei, of any in truth, but her bond with Entilzha had deepened, the Sin'dorei Magister standing before the portal in front of the drawn weapons of her own people. Perhaps giving second thought to the notion Thalassian politics were child's play to those in Suramar, Morgane and her adopted son Mathis are often at Belore'aran, outside which Morgane refurbished a long abandoned Thalassian Sanctum, she would make it a point to attend meetings of the Court of Suramar, but spent little time actually in the city, finding with a child the tranquil forests of Ashal'Thalas far more suited than the still turmoil-ripe Suramar. Unexpected Pleasantries Since the loss of her fiance Clément to assassination under the shielded Suramar, Morgane displayed little interest in remarrying, and while she dresses often as one confident in her appearance, had long since been without any romantic interest when the dome fell, if such was not even an afterthought at that time. with her fiance Entilzha Firesong and Emberquill Jandissa Starweaver]] Morgane and Entilzha Firesong struck what was at first a strategic alliance for both, though with their time training the Thera-dora and living in close proximity at Shal'elah, their friendship deepened, the two arcanist's holding much in common and quite curious of the other's culture. Entilzha and Morgane each held traditional views reflecting the isolation of their societies, and the pride and respect for their ancestors upholding a pure birthright was something each respected in the other, if it would naturally limit the nature of their relationship to friendship and alliance. Eight months or so after their meeting in Azsuna, Suramar was liberated and under First Arcanist's Thalyssra's new government, the high caliber of training given to the Thera-dora reflected highly on Morgane and Entilzha both. In many cases such alliances are unlikely to endure past times of conflict. However Morgane and Entilzha continued working closely together, either at the Firesong Suramar Consulate or in the forests of Firesong-governed Ashal'Thalas, where a small number of Nightborne families had been moved from the crowing of Shal'aran at the height of the crisis, notably those with small children in the small, previously abandoned hamlet that came to be known as Belore'aran. It grew increasingly common to not see either Morgane or Entilzha without the other, and few among their inner circles bore much surprise when they announced the most unconventional decision to marry. With the shield not yet lifted from Suramar long enough for a mixed child to be born, and the response to the first wave likely to be harsh towards most, possibly even Morgane despite her standing. Morgane moved into the Dal'felo Spire and her and Entilzha Firesong seriously considered marriage for a time, though largely on Morgane's insistence as she grew familiar with the importance of tradition and the Firesong lordship in preserving Ashal'Thalas as the Firesong sovereignty it always had been, encouraged Entilzha to instead marry their mutual companion, Lady Jandyssa Firesong, formerly Jandyssa Starweaver. Morgane took up the ancient title of Prime Consort, ruling over the Dal'felo Spire in Lord and Lady Firesong's absence. Her role within the Firesong Council has steadily increased to one of notable power, as Morgane's relationships with Matriarch Salandra Firesong and Council Speaker Ala'nairi Direnni develop. In practical terms, with Jandyssa young and growing into her role, Morgane is the third most powerful figure in Ashal'Thalas, after Entilzha and Salandra, effectively working to bridge frequent rifts between Entilzha and his sister. Caretaker Direnni, having served on the council for over a thousand years, has only begun hinting at retirement after growing to trust Morgane's wisdom, and has hinted Lady Devaux as her likely successor as Speaker of the powerful Firesong Council. Entilzha, Jandyssa, and Morgane consider each other family and Jandyssa's unborn child and any in the future will take her name and hereditary lordship over Belore'aran and the surrounding area, preventing what otherwise would have been the end of the equally ancient House Devaux, with Morgane's brothers either dying or turning Felborne during the time of Legion occupation. She's no plans to return to Suramar in the near future, having lived in Eldre'Thalas and Zin-Azshari before the dome, she welcomed the peaceful forests of the small hamlet Entilzha's line had long governed, and welcomes deeply having a family based on love and trust, as well as the ability to carry on her family's legacy with pure, albeit unconventional, Highborne bloodlines and birthright valued strong by Morgane and Entilzha alike. Morgane was fundamental in securing the land deed to the ancient Bergerac Vineyards in Azsuna, and the restoration of the ancient vineyard and production of Leywine, a unique line of well-received arcane wines inspired by Highborne-era recipes, most notably the popular Azshara Red, with the winemaking and infusion process developed at Bergerac heavily influenced by traditional Shal'dorei arcwine production, though the infusion is done via a mysterious place known only as the "Leychamber". After the wider release of Azshara Red and some other Bergerac products at the first Midsummer Revelry, she and Entilzha both look to Bergerac as both their future, past, and a needed new stream of income. Morgane doesn't rule out returning to Suramar in some fashion in time and will briefly visit the city on occasion, but after ten thousand years there not tasting the deeper things in life that her growing close to Entilzha had brought Morgane back to the importance of, desires nothing greater than a family and happiness, and together with Entilzha and Jandyssa, now walks free of the last vestiges of her isolation, and never again walk alone. "At last I can look to the moon at night and smile once more". Onward in Unity For the first year or so since she'd come to principally reside at the Dal'felo Spire, Morgane did not encounter others of her people in Quel'Thalas, with stares common from the local elves, if they were most often curious and welcoming. Morgane thought often of the future of her people, no longer shielded and without the Nightwell to draw upon in a world filled with dangers one can see and many one can not. From her encounters among the Sin'dorei, she found much of the populace viewed their current allies as beneath them and their bloodline, and an often theoretical desire for a more suitable partnership with her kin in Suramar. The strategic and cultural advantage of such was by no means lost to Morgane, but she cautioned the Sin'dorei to act with patience as her people had long been isolated, and to develop cultural and personal ties with those whom sought such and allow the Shal'dorei to come along at their own pace. While recognizing her people would respond well to such, Morgane grew to question if Suramar could afford decades in the current chaotic world. Leading the small refugee colony of Belore'aran in Ashal'Thalas, comprised largely of Shal'dorei with small children whom had fled Suramar during the abduction scare, she'd expected most elves to return home as soon as Suramar were deemed safe, though did all she could to make the place seem as home, with musicians and performers brought in from Suramar and from SIlvermoon, a unique "Highborne fusion" architecture, education system delving the cultural, magical, and linguistic ties between the races, and an idyllic forest setting. To her surprise few of the families decided to uproot themselves as the fighting came to an end, though a regular teleportation link to Suramar grew into more common use, those residing in Belore'aran generally came to view it and Quel'Thalas as home. What truly began to shift Morgane's thinking was the level of interest their friends and family in Suramar had, both to the residents of Belore'aran, Calindra and the Thera-dora, Arcanist Ryanna, herself and nearlyany Shal'dorei whom had seemingly found a place for themselves in the world beyond Suramar, which in the vast majority of such cases was among Sin'dorei. Inspired by the deepening ties between Silgryn and Lady Liadrin, Morgane formalized the education structure at Belore'aran with the stated purpose of fostering cultural exchange and unity, viewing children raised to experience and live within both cultures as a vital future source of diplomats, traders, and a new generation of mages, as well as fostering cultural exchange immediately, returning to Suramar and teaching their friends Thalassian phrases. With support from Entilzha, the number of Sin'dorei educated at Belore'aran now account for about a third of students, and between the connections of House Firesong and House Devaux, guest speakers from both cultures regularly visit Belore'aran, and students venture often to Suramar, Silvermoon, and explore shared cultural sites such as Eldre'Thalas. With the notion of an alliance beyond the realm of wishful thinking and moreso the not if but when category, Morgane, increasingly with Entilzha, Jandyssa and a growing number of likeminded Sin'dorei, have made the establishment of a Suramar-Silvermoon cultural and military alliance a principle goal, one they firmly believe the only route to the liberation and safety of both peoples. Horde Union Behind the scenes efforts of Morgane and others came to bear fruit with the announcement of an alliance with Silvermoon City and the whole of the Horde. As her kin flooded into Silvermoon, Morgane was recalled to the Nighthold to consult with her government and advise her kin. She spoke with the favor one might expect given her history towards the Sin'dorei, and of orcs as strong and honorable creatures that make suitable allies. Facing broad skepticism regarding trolls, Morgane noted the Sin'dorei have very little direct contact with the Darkspear and go about their own respective affairs. Pleased to have more of her people beyond the borders of Suramar, and unity with the Sin'dorei as a springboard to her ambitions, Morgane seeks to implement a number of ambitious goals, most notably one regarding a little-known function of the Amulet of Ky'lintha's Grace, which she faithfully dons about her neck. Category:Roleplay Characters Category:Nightborne Category:Nightborne Peerege Category:House of Firesong Category:House of Devaux Category:Mages Category:Ashal'Thalas